And while I love summer, I don’t love when the heat index reaches 111.

We are very fortunate to have central air and our cars also have air conditioning – which is a big plus. When I first moved to Baltimore, I had a car with no air conditioning. That first summer was wretched. I was interviewing for jobs and I’d basically drive to the location of the interview and get dressed in some air-conditioned location in the office building hoping whoever was interviewing me didn’t see me dressing and half-bathing in a public bathroom like some sort of crazed savage.

But those days are long behind me. . .Now I spend my time plotting the laziest dinner I can manage – without an oven or microwave. We haven’t had a microwave in years (I have never once missed it) and when it’s this hot, I try to avoid the oven at all costs. . .Just turning it on seems to get the rest of the house all hot and bothered. . .which makes our AC run hard. . .which I’m told is not good for it. . .Which could be a LIE designed to keep me from cranking the thermostat down to 68 but I’m too lazy to Google it. . .So. . .Lazy oven-less meals it is.

My Husband really likes Gazpacho.

I like making him happy but I really hate chopping all those sloppy tomatoes and trying to puree them in a blender. It’s messy and time-consuming. And if the tomatoes aren’t that good, the soup suffers.

1. Open two large cans of good-quality crushed tomatoes and dump in a large bowl.

2. Add one small can of good-quality diced tomatoes with green chilies, a glug of olive oil, and a teaspoon or two (to taste) of finely chopped garlic. (I use the kind that comes in a big jar you can keep in the fridge. . .because. . .I’m lazy. And chopping fresh garlic just doesn’t do it for me. At. All. Ever.)

3. Gently stir the ingredients. If things look a little thick, add a bit of water and stir.

4. Then add: One or two finely chopped medium-sized cucumbers and a mild green bell pepper. (You can also add a couple of finely chopped ribs of celery and red bell pepper).

5. Gently stir again. If the soup still looks a little thick, you can add more water. Salt and pepper to taste.

6. Allow to chill in the fridge for several hours.

7. Serve with just about anything: Grilled cheese, topped with crab meat or shrimp, with lime and cilantro and tortilla chips

Husband said he remembered my previous gazpachos to be “chunkier.” And he’s right. If you like a little chunkier texture, use more diced tomatoes. It’s not exactly like a “from scratch” gazpacho. But it takes 15 minutes tops to prepare and tastes great.

The kid wasn’t impressed. I think the chilies gave it a little too much zip for him. . .but they really aren’t all that spicy. If you like spicy, spicy stuff, you could also add a finely diced jalapeno or similar.